Saturday, January 17, 2009

IT All Started with...






Meet Vine Hill Woman. She's inspirational. Why, you say? Because she is a plethora, an endless supply of artistic ideas and creations. She may be one of the most productive women I have ever had the pleasure to know.

Vine Hill woman has a love affair with wool and glass. She hunts wool. She finds it in thrift stores and bargain bins. Old coats, skirts and blankets, get transformed into something new. Under her skillful fingers they become braided rugs, and hooked rugs. Her hooked rugs are unbelievable, how I managed to not get a picture is also unbelievable. Idiot. The hand hooked rugs are made with small strips of recycled wool that has been hand dyed again into brighter richer colors. She showed me her study of "marrying" the wools by mixing the different fabrics together and letting them bleed into each other and then fixing the new dyed shade. The next step is to draw a canvass into some sort of pleasing design or picture. This is the wow part. Currently she is working on a design of one of the waterfalls of Yosemite! These rugs are stunning. so is the amount of work that goes into them, like I said it's a love affair.

As if that isn't enough for one woman to do she also makes stain glass and stain glass art pieces like the picture of the birdbath in my header. If your not impressed yet, she is a great cook. How about, she can sew? Her houses are also works of art and just too cool?
She gardens, decorates, and designs? She's just plain fun. Am I spoiled or what? Nobody has more interesting cool girlfriends. I am just spoiled rotten.

Vine Hill Woman got me on a thrift store shopping spree. All I need is a gentle push and I'll go bonzos in that direction. I have been having a ball. Granted, shopping for cheap thrills is not on par to creating great works of art, but it's fun. It's about my speed. I am making a present for Vine Hill Woman, for all the lovely food she made us and staying in her beloved little cabin.

Would you like to see some of my finds? Thought you might. I found some cornices for $6 my vote is undecided yet about the fabric that is currently on them. It works but it's not the best idea, recovering may be the next project. Feel free to voice your opinion.





The wooden object that I think might be a tie rack, or spool was a nifty little find for $1.50 I mounted it on the bathroom wall for Piglets vast collections of necklaces, she thinks it's cool.





The fun thing about these pictures is the sizes. The brown chest is a small jewelry box about 12" tall, that I gave to Tigger. The white chest is next to my bed and its about 3 and 1/2 feet tall, it's a nice piece. Having all those drawers next to my bed is stinkin fabulous. I have junk to hide you know.

The ceramic piece looks like one that my girls would do, it was also a bargain from the thrift store. This is by no means an exhaustive list, there are the books, the 4 red plates from Spain, the 12 English teacups and saucers, the amber glasses, and assorted other little gotta have its.

I am going back to work on Monday before we end up in the poorhouse. I am not going to mention dieting from eating to many cookies. You get the drift. I can get into this thrift store bargain hunting as much as a kid in a candy shop, a little restraint please!

16 comments:

Chesapeake Bay Woman said...

Oh, I had an obsession with thrift stores at one point in my life and finally had to stop cold turkey because of all the clutter I had.

There's nothing like the thrill of the hunt, though, and the fact that you get treasures for such a cheap price makes it all the more rewarding.....

Your friend Vine Hill Woman is exceptionally talented...that rug is gorgeous.

Now I must force myself back into the "No Thrift Store Shopping Allowed" mode before I succomb to my addiction.

Cindy said...

I think the cornice works well with the room. The colors seem to match perfectly with your sofa! I've never recovered a cornice so I have no idea how hard it is to do.

Karen Deborah said...

uh oh, sorry about that. I have succumbed. Take pictures.

Flea said...

I'm bad about thrift stores. I tend to look for specific things and not even see the treasures around me. If you find any pillow cases in decent shape with embroidered scenes and crocheted edges, scarf them up? I'll reimburse you. They're tough to find. But no more than eight bucks for a case.

Laura ~Peach~ said...

cool stuff!

Unknown said...

I love going to thrift stores. We don't really have any here, but I used to spend hours upon hours with my grandmother "treasure hunting". I miss the fun!

Becky said...

I LOOOOOOOOVE thrift stores! We could have so much fun together! I go to three or four every week and just dig around. I get a lot of books and kid stuff but I find some real treasures too. Thats why it takes me seven hours to do a weeks worth of grocery shopping, LOL.

Anonymous said...

I wish you could come decorate my house for me. Really. I'm not good at that stuff. How bout your next trip you come to Colorado??? I'll cook for ya and take you all kinds of neat places!

Debbie in CA : ) said...

Wow! How did I miss out on meeting Miss Vine Hill while I lived in Felton? Could it have been my 24/7 schedule with little free time available? ; ) She's wonderful!

I'll pray for your thrift-habit (Somehow you can take thrifting and make it spendy -- girlfriend you make me laugh!)

I love the cornices. Be bold. If anything I'd say keep the stripes and cover the florals. (Did I just say that, Miss Queen of florals, florals everywhere?)

It's Saturday . . . I'm silly . . . and looking forward to a day of doing WHATEVER I WANT!!! Where's my teapot? Where's that book? Aaaahhhhhh . . . Wish you were here!! : D

farmlady said...

I'm in thrift store rehab right now. I was buying things I didn't even need but, still, when I drive by them..., I hear the stores calling my name.
Beware! This is an addictive habit.

farmlady said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
imbeingheldhostage said...

oh how fun! You have a great eye, I wish you'd come help me put some cuteness together...
and run, do not walk back to that woman's house for a picture of her hooked rugs! I'm dying from curiosity now! I love creative people and one day I will be one.

Karen Deborah said...

Me spendy? Debbie I can introduce you to my buddy if you'd like. Um you can do it up with the best of the spenders there girlfriend! Yeah I know thrift stores imply thrifty as in frugal, as in cheap, as in DEALS!!!!!

Love Those Slots ! said...

Oh my, we are all from the same pea pod! haha, I've written about this in my blog about thrift stores. Can't shake it though. Going on 30 years thrifting and I love love love it. Thanks goodness for eBay allowing me the outlet to sell what I find. =D

Karen said...

Hi, I'm Karen and I'm a thrift shop junkie.

Angela said...

I LOVE that white drawer set you have by your bed..oh my goodness that is beautiful!!! I like how she hung up those necklaces like that. I will be on the hunt for one when the yard sales start back up here. You have found some great finds..yahooooooooo!!!